BMW begins production of hydrogen drivetrain component at Landshut plant
BMW Group has started pre-series production of a key hydrogen drivetrain component at its Plant Landshut facility in Germany, marking another step in the company’s expansion of hydrogen fuel cell technology alongside battery-electric vehicle development.
The plant has begun manufacturing the “Energy Master”, a central control unit that will be used in the upcoming BMW iX5 Hydrogen. At the same time, BMW has commissioned a second production line for the battery-electric version of the same control unit, which is used in the Neue Klasse generation of electric vehicles including the BMW iX3 and BMW i3.
The Energy Master acts as the central control system for the vehicle’s high-voltage architecture, managing energy and data flows between the fuel cell system, high-voltage battery and electric drive units. In the hydrogen-powered BMW iX5 Hydrogen, a modified version of the unit is integrated into the BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage system, helping coordinate power delivery and ensuring safe operation of the drivetrain.
BMW said the Landshut facility is becoming an increasingly important centre for both battery-electric and hydrogen technologies, combining electronics expertise with industrial-scale production capabilities. The company also confirmed that development and production of the Energy Master are being carried out entirely in-house for the first time.
The hydrogen-specific version of the control unit forms part of BMW’s wider fuel cell strategy ahead of the planned launch of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen in 2028. The vehicle will feature a newly developed hydrogen tank concept designed to provide a driving range of up to 750 kilometres while maintaining interior space and compatibility with BMW’s sixth-generation battery platform.
The latest generation of BMW’s fuel cell technology, developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corporation, is expected to be more compact and efficient than previous systems. Series production of fuel cell systems is scheduled to begin in 2028 at BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria, with Landshut supplying key drivetrain and fuel cell components.
BMW highlighted hydrogen’s potential to complement battery-electric mobility by offering long driving ranges and rapid refuelling while diversifying energy sources and reducing dependence on a single infrastructure network or raw material supply chain. The company said integrating hydrogen models into existing production lines would support manufacturing flexibility as the market evolves.
The project has also received substantial public funding support through Germany’s HyPowerDrive programme under the IPCEI Hy2Move initiative. The German federal government is providing €191 million in funding, while the state of Bavaria is contributing an additional €82 million to support development of the drivetrain and hydrogen tank systems.
BMW said it has invested a high three-digit million-euro sum in expanding electromobility and related technologies at the Landshut site since 2020, reinforcing the facility’s strategic role in the company’s future drivetrain portfolio.
